


Connections and consequences

by SteveM



Series: Building A Better World [8]
Category: Batwoman (TV 2019), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveM/pseuds/SteveM
Summary: With the evidence growing that Earth First is a front for a plot born on Apokolips Batwoman investigates a lead in Gotham in the hope of finding some answers.
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Kate Kane, Kara Danvers/Kate Kane
Series: Building A Better World [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837882
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Kate Kane rolled her neck back as she tried to work out a particularly stubborn knot, the familiar rattling of the elevator cage around her almost comforting as she dropped down from her office towards the Bat Cave far below Wayne Tower. The last couple of days had been somewhat frustrating as Luke kept running into dead ends in his digital digging into Earth First and crime in Gotham seemed to be keeping an unusually low profile so she couldn’t even indulge in a little stress relief on that side either. 

On the plus side she had at least got to hear her beloved wife drunk which wasn’t something she’d realised she needed in her life but now desperately wanted to see in person. Which, technically, she probably could have but no matter how tempting the blackmail material it hadn’t been worth risking Kara flying across half the country in that state. Doubly so if she was serious about being naked to ‘hide her identity’ which Kate was pretty sure had made sense in Kara’s head at the time so probably wasn’t a bluff. 

Of course that also meant she’d had almost no sleep the night before which wasn’t doing anything to improve her mood. Still she knew she shouldn’t complain. If everything they’d found so far on Earth First and it’s potential connection to Apokolips was borne out she’d soon have all the action she could handle. 

“How’re we doing?” She called out as the elevator ground to a halt and she slid open the metal door. 

“We? We are doing just fine. You, on the other hand, look like crap.” Luke said casting an appraising eye at her as she stalked up the narrow walkway to the Batcomputer. 

“Thanks, you’re a wonderful moral booster.”

“I’m serious Kate. I’ve seen you look fresher after taking on half an army and a few dozen wind-up penguin bombs. What’s going on?”

“I’m just… I need to be doing something.” Kate admitted, grateful that Kara wasn’t around to hear that confession. She really did have a lot in common with Lena Luthor… 

“Well good news on that front, think we might have a lead on a friend of yours.”

Luke turned and punched a few keys to bring up a green and black night vision video clearly pulled from a security camera. 

“Where is this?” Kate asked, moving closer to get a good look.

“One of the maintenance tunnels for the underground section of the El.” Luke said, tapping a pencil on his thigh as he watched along with her.

“You’d think the city would get round to renaming it after the expansion. It’s hardly an Elevated Train if it goes underground…” Kate mused, still wondering what she was looking for.

“Good to see you’re focused on the task in hand.” Luke teased. “Wait, here it is… see anyone you recognise?”

Kate frowned and moved even closer. It looked the same, just a nice quiet section of tunnel with the usual cramped spaces, random crap in odd places and…. 

“There!” She actually pointed at the screen and realised she was a little more on edge than she’d thought. “Can you roll it back about ten seconds?”

“Good eyes boss.” Luke said, genuinely impressed. He’d only caught it the second time through himself and that was after the search algorithms flagged it as suspicious. 

Sure enough, as the video rewound then played Kate saw what she’d been expecting. A glint of metal caught in the night vision camera and just on the edge of frame.

“Claws. Metal claws.” Kate said softly.

“Your pal Harriet?”

“Maybe. Right build and right shape of claw from what I can tell. Anything else?”

“No, and that’s weird as there’s cameras both ends of that tunnel. Shouldn’t be any way in or out without being monitored.”

“Could they be using boom tubes to travel around the city?”

“Maybe but I doubt it. Would you just leave that tech lying around with every minion? Plus it’s not exactly subtle transportation, someone would be bound to notice eventually.”

“Okay, so if she didn’t just teleport out and the cameras didn’t see her leave… either there’s another way out we don’t know about or she’s still there.”

“Pretty much.” Luke agreed. “At least I can’t think of a third option.”

“So I need to go take a look, find out which.”

“Uh, not to be the voice of reason for the five thousandth time or anything but shouldn’t this maybe wait for Kara to get here tomorrow? Visitors from Apokolips sound like a World’s Finest thing to me, not a Batwoman solo adventure.”

Kate thought about that for a moment then shook her head. “Not yet. We don’t want to tip them off that they might have to deal with Kara as well. Plus if I don’t move quickly and she IS in there there’s a chance she’ll slip away again. No, I’ll go check it out but don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

“Yeah, thought you might say that.” Luke sighed and tapped a single key, bringing up the biometrics for the suit and starting a warm-up process for the bike. “Everything’s ready to go.”

“Thanks Luke.” Kate said with a smile. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Let’s never find out.” Luke said, returning the grin and punching up a tactical map. “Two possible entrance points but I suggest you use the one here, about half a mile from where it goes underground.”

“Any particular reason?”

“It’s got a working camera on a motorised mount so I can check the area before you drop in. Also the other side’s quite a bit deeper, might cause problems with the comms and data feeds. At least this way you’ll have a link back here if it goes wrong immediately.”

“Fair point. Let’s go to work.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kara never thought she’d ever say it but life as Lena Luthor’s assistant was starting to get a little dull. After the phenomenal night where she’d somehow gotten to share a bed with both her wife and her best friend Kara had made a deliberate effort to ease back on the flirting, mainly to give Lena some space and make sure there weren’t any confusing signals. Fun was one thing, the last thing she needed after they’d both worked so hard to get over their mutual mistakes was for Lena to think anyone was angling for some sort of permanent timeshare relationship. 

The problem with that approach was it meant she genuinely was an assistant and unlike Cat Grant Lena was a pretty undemanding boss. A couple of coffee’s a day, the occasional phone call or meeting arrangement, there really wasn’t much that Lena didn’t just handle on her own or get her impressive digital AI to handle for her. To add to the boredom Lena was spending a fair amount of time in her lab working on the Parademon scale and the gravel sample Kara had brought her. While she was sure she could help - after all she had been targeting entry to the science guild on Krypton - they’d both agreed having ‘Linda Lee’ around Harley and Ivy wasn’t a great idea. Considering their unique experience with Supergirl they were likely one of the very small number of people on the planet who might recognise her from something other than her face. Plus explaining why a lowly assistant could be trusted with the secret of Ivy and Harley’s current employment was a problem neither Lena nor Kara really wanted to deal with.

As a result Kara found herself with little to do but think. Still, if that was all there was to do she was determined to make the best use she could of the time. Splitting her time she finished her efforts to learn Japanese to at least try and talk down the next bank robber she had to stop while flying over the country, reviewed everything they’d found on Earth First and explored any possible connection to crime in National City and just for the hell of it sketched a picture of Lena hard at work behind her desk, the gleaming spires of a futuristic National City rising in the window behind her.

“Hey Linda, anything I need to know… about…. Oh my.” Lena stepped out of her private elevator with her head still buried in a tablet. It wasn’t until she glanced up that she noticed Kara standing nervously by the sketch and the look of worry on her face was enough to make Lena reconsider her normal reluctance to have a camera on workplace devices.

“So what do you think?” Kara asked, her hands playing with her glasses in the way she always did when she was worried.

“Yours?” Lena asked gently and Kara nodded. “It’s wonderful. I knew you were practicing over the last few months but this is incredibly good.”

“You really think so? You’re not just being polite?” 

Lena laughed and stepped in to take a closer look. Up close the pencil lines were even finer than she’d thought, the level of detail verging on the ridiculous. 

“Let me put it this way: when you’re tired of, uh, your current career choice you’d probably be one of the few people in the world who could make a comfortable living as an artist.”

Kara blushed and smiled happily. There was a lot left unsaid of course, there had to be considering Kara was currently very much Linda Lee, natural born human and possessor of no superpowers whatsoever. But the fact was Lena knew that Kara had taken up art with such a passion specifically because it allowed her to practice controlling her gifts. As Kara had once told her it was a lot safer being heavy-handed with water colours and brushes than, say, petting kittens.

“It’s yours of course.” Kara mumbled, still rather embarrassed from the praise.

“You’re sure?” Lena asked and Kara just nodded. “Would you be okay if I hung it at home? Having a picture of yourself in your own office seems a little too Morgan Edge for comfort.”

Kara laughed at that and seemed to shake off the last of her shyness. “It’s yours, you can put it where you like!”

“Any chance of a commission for here while you’re about it?” Lena teased but there was something about the way she said it.

“Umm, I mean, if you want to…”

“Oh I do! And I know just what it should be too. Same size as this but of a true hero, an inspiration to her city and to me personally. Someone who really stands for everything that L Corp represents and we’re proud to support in her never-ending fight for justice.”

Kara had gone scarlet and just nodded her agreement from beneath the temporarily red bangs. 

“Great! Batwoman will be perfect on that wall!”

“What!” Kara couldn’t help the explosion of indignation as Lena threw the curve ball though it was more in disbelief that she hadn’t seen it coming.

“Make sure you get her eyes right, it’s not like you’ve got any excuse on that front. Oh and full watercolour too please.”

Kara seethed as she tried to find a suitable retort but before she could manage it she noticed the twitch of Lena’s lips as her friend tried to hold back laughter. Lena knew she’d been busted and gave up the struggle.

“Sorry, sorry K, uh, Linda. Couldn’t resist.” Lena managed to say around her chuckles. “The look on your face!”

“Oh you are mean!” Kara said but the smile on her face robbed the words of any malice.

“You knew this long before you worked for me.” Lena pointed out. “But seriously though, Batwoman would look awesome on that wall.”

Kara glanced over and sighed. “Yeah, yeah she would. Alright, if I can… umm… get a model I’ll get it done for you.”

“I suspect you won’t have any trouble in that regard.” Lena said and Kara suspected she was probably right. Kate passing up the opportunity to pose, in costume, for a portrait she knew was going to hang on Lena’s wall just to tweak Kara’s ego a little…. yeah, her wife would move heaven and earth to make that happen.

“I’ve got that gravel sample back…” Lena suddenly sounded nervous which was never a good sign. Kara sighed and made a ‘go on’ gesture. “You were right, it’s definitely blood. Contains Hemocyanin as the respiratory pigment so very high copper content along with the blue coluring. And… uh…”

“Go on, get the bad news over with.” Kara said wearily.

“The reason it had such a strong coloration was the Hemocyanin was heavily oxygenated. Now I can’t say for sure but that would suggest whoever it was supposed to be inside had just been doing some pretty strenuous activity.”

“Like, say, being hunted?” 

“Unfortunately, yes.” Lena agreed looking miserable. “With everything you’ve found out and the scorch marks in the first training setup I’d say it looks likely.”

“So… Earth First builds a private army, trains them to hunt down aliens possibly while wearing DEO uniforms and using DEO tactics to deflect suspicion. Grabs them, brings them to the tower and uses them for live exercises… why?”

“Desensitise their agents to killing aliens? Treat them as sub-human so they don’t hesitate in the field?”

“Yeah but why take aliens at all? That building that Kate found the scale in, only the alien residents were attacked by that Parademon and they were willing to literally blow up the entire place to hide any possible evidence.”

“Hide the evidence of a Parademon being on Earth?”

“But why was it there in the first place… unless…” Kara looked up sharply and Lena saw something flicker behind her eyes. “That thing tracked us back from Gotham to National City, literally right to our door. Nothing we saw on Apokolips suggested Parademons had anything like that sort of ability. And it’s a hell of a lot bigger and tougher than they were as well.”

“Also willing to suicide rather than be captured.” Lena pointed out, the memory of that moment still very fresh in her mind.

“Exactly. So…. As far as we can tell there was nothing linking the people living in those four apartments other than just being in the same building. No criminal record, nothing at the DEO, they were just normal people. So what if that was a test? Let that creature loose in a confined space, see how it performed?”

Lena thought about that for a moment then shook her head slowly. “No… no that doesn’t feel right. If you’re going to do that you don’t do it with witnesses around. Even if the human tenants were out they’re going to notice if all of the aliens in the building just vanish at once.” She went silent for a moment, lost in thought then drew a sharp breath. “Unless it wasn’t planned…”

“What?”

“An accident. They’re engineering the creature, stuffing its brain with whatever programming they need to ensure it’s loyal and it gets out. Programming kicks in and it starts hunting. In National City that would be tricky for it as we’ve got such a large alien population but in Gotham there’s only a handful. Whatever senses it uses to hunt maybe a group of four families living that close together was the biggest scent it could find.”

Kara stared for a moment, running through the idea in her mind. “It fits doesn’t it?” She said grimly. “And worse, it means that it could have crossed half the city to find them.”

“Maybe, but it’s worth checking to see where else could give that strong a call to it. Should be able to eliminate at least some of Gotham for being too far away.” Lena pointed out.

“We’ll get Luke to run the simulation as soon as I’m in Gotham tomorrow.” Kara said. “In the meantime I’m going to head over to see Alex. Maybe she’s got a lead from the DEO warehouse we can follow up on. Plus she might be able to help nail down what alien races on earth have blue blood and might be based somewhere close to Gotham.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Lena said and Kara picked up the note of hope in her voice. She had to hide a smile at Lena’s enthusiasm for fighting the good fight. Ever since she’d realised just how far she’d fallen she’d dedicated herself to what she saw as redemption with the same laser-focused commitment she’d brought to bear on everything else she considered critical in her life. 

“See if you, Ivy and Harley can find out any more about our Parademon or any other visitors from Apokolips that may be hanging around Gotham?”

“We’ll see what we can do but that might be a long shot.” Lena warned.

“I know but it’s worth a try. Oh, and do me a favour? Keep an eye on Alex when I’m out of town? She’s likely to take the DEO thing rather personally.”

“I will.” Lena promised. “Though if Alex Danvers decides she’s going to do something I’m not sure even you can stop her. Especially if explosives are involved.”

Kara laughed and hugged her friend tightly. “You’re probably right but it means a lot that you’re willing to try anyway.” She chuckled. “If I don’t get chance to see you before I go take care of yourself.”

“You too. And take care of Kate as well! That body needs to be preserved for the good of the world!”

“You fantasising about my wife again?” Kara teased and to her delight she actually saw Lena blush.”

“Ummm…. Maybe a little?” Lena raised her thumb and forefinger half an inch apart with a slightly sheepish look.

“Tell you what, you fantasise all you want but you share the details when I’m back? Deal?”

“Deal.” Lena said a little too quickly. “Provided you tell me if you think it’s worth using that freebie card on!”

“Fair enough!” Kara laughed running her hands through her hair to flip the Kryptonian nanites from red back to her natural blonde. “For now though up, up…”

“And away!” Lena finished the line for Kara and watched as she dramatically ripped her glasses from her face, the super suit forming around her before she rocketed out of the open balcony door and into the blue sky beyond.

“That is just so cool…” Lena muttered before collecting her thoughts and turning back to her work.


	3. Chapter 3

“Anything on the camera?” Kate asked as she did one last sweep of the area.

“No, nothing. At either end.”

“Okay… well nothing else for it, I’ll have to go in and take a look.”

“Be careful.” Luke warned her as she slipped from her hiding place and glided down to the rooftop below. “The way those tunnels are built we’re going to lose comms as soon as you’re inside.”

“I know, I know, I do remember what happened when I went to stop that bomber.” Kate grumbled as she eyed the access door.

“Uh, didn’t you stop that train in the open with the bike?”

“The other bomber.”

“Ohh, Clancy. Yeah, fair point. Just take care, okay?”

“I will.” Kate promised as she picked the lock and slipped inside.

“Oh, lovely.” Kate muttered as she took a look around the narrow maintenance tunnel. Metal walls cut through the earth in a tube just under four metres wide and tracks were laid in the concrete floor. Opposite her there was a hole in the wall and just beyond she could make out the ‘live’ tunnel for the train itself. At least they knew Harriet hadn’t gone that way, there were two cameras covering every such entrance point for safety reasons and Luke had checked every last second of footage for a hint of the alien woman escaping through them.

She double checked that there was no power rail down there before dropping down from the small concrete ledge she’d found herself on. That really would be difficult to explain to Kara, she thought as she set out cautiously into the darkness. Fight the literal god of fear, stare down Darkseid, get killed by standing on an electrified rail. Not a great look…

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for precisely but was fairly sure it wouldn’t be anything too obvious. After all this was still an active maintenance tunnel in regular use by the city. Any giant hole or something like that would surely have been reported. Any missing workers certainly would have made the news. She flipped the cowl’s sensors on and started checking the walls and ceiling for anything that looked out of place.

To her disappointment nothing obvious appeared and the tunnel remained disappointingly empty until she reached the far end. The door looked as it should and more to reassure Luke than anything else she eased it open and glanced out, making sure the camera could see her. She didn’t have any fear of being spotted as Luke had already hijacked the whole system and was splicing in old footage to cover her exploration.

Stepping back inside she looked around thoughtfully wondering what she’d missed. Being very careful so as not to get an unexpected train to the face she checked the live tunnel for any signs that someone with claws had come this way but, no, there just wasn’t anything. A thin layer of dust on the ground was undisturbed, hardly surprising as the only real reason to transfer between the two tunnels was in the event of a rescue from a stuck train or to work on the power systems neither of which had happened in the last few days. The dust… well, there was an idea Kate thought.

She tapped the control panel hidden in her gauntlet and the cowl zeroed in on the debris covering the floor and walls. She slowly made her way back up the tunnel letting the cowl analyse everything it could. About two thirds of the way back it suddenly overlaid a yellow section on the floor ahead of her. Crouching down she ran one armoured finger along the line it had drawn and saw the almost invisible swirls where there shouldn’t be any disturbance at all.

She let her fingers trail through the outline until she had a good feel for just what she was looking at. A rectangle in the concrete maybe four foot long and three wide, set neatly in-between the tracks, its edges maybe an inch wide and designed to look like normal wear and tear. For a moment she wondered if there was some hidden release mechanism then dismissed the idea. If this was built as a hidden entrance you wouldn’t leave the button to open it lying around, especially in an active work area like this. So what then…

She plucked a Batarang from her belt and eased it into the crack. There was a little resistance as she pushed debris out of the way then it moved easily. She found she could push it back and forth after only a very small amount had gone through… so this wasn’t concrete at all she realised with a start. Just a thin layer designed to look like it, maybe just a skin over metal. She slipped her right glove of, clipped it to her belt then let her bare fingers slip into the crack. There was just enough room for her to get a good grip on the thin panel and she gritted her teeth, putting her whole body into the lift.

She almost flew over backwards as the panel hinged up smoothly at the lightest touch and she landed in a combat crouch, ready for something to come flying out to meet her. But no, there was just a black hole yawning open beneath the panel that was starting to slowly close back down now it had reached the vertical. With a grimace she slipped her gauntlet back on and dropped neatly into the hole, tucking her legs even as the night vision of the cowl showed a rocky floor a dozen foot below.

“About damn time!” Harriet’s voice rang from the darkness and Kate snapped towards it, instantly in combat mode. “Do you have any idea how booooooooring it is being down in this hole waiting for you!”

Kate glanced up just in time to see a giant metal bar slide soundlessly across the hatch she’d just dropped through. No escape that way she thought grimly. 

“Now let’s finish our dance shall we little bat?” Harriet cackled and she suddenly launched herself up from a small, well-hidden ditch just a couple of feet in front of Kate! Batwoman hurled herself backwards, felt the cape catch and tear on Harriet’s claws but she was clear of the ambush and now she knew which direction the assault was coming from.

“Ohh, you’re going to be fun!” This time the attack came from the right but Batwoman saw it coming, turned and parried the arm away, claws flashing past the cowl as her knee came up hard into Harriet’s gut. Her elbow crashed into the back of Harriet’s neck as she doubled up and Batwoman slid under the left arm as it came around too late to make contact, picking up speed and opening the gap between them. She heard the annoyed hiss and let a small smirk lift her lips. The hiss turned into an enraged growl and that told her a lot about Harriet’s night vision.

“Not bad but not good enough!” Harriet leapt forward but came up short, landing on her palms and throwing herself to the right, her feet coming around in a wide arc, one high one low. Batwoman saw it coming just in time and rolled between the oncoming blades, the spikes on the backs of her gauntlets flicking up at just the right angle to leave three lines through the armour surrounding Harriet’s legs. Batwoman scrambled away, knowing all too well just how quickly the other woman could change direction and found herself dodging claw slashes that sent sparks up from the rocky ground.

Jumping back into a corner Batwoman planted her feet on one wall and pushed off, changing her own momentum to slide around the descending claws and kick upwards to land a boot right in Harriet’s face. This time the howl was pure anger and before Batwoman could react one of the blades shifted and slashed at her gut. Thankfully the suit held, blades skittering away but she felt the impact and winced at the pain. Still it gave her an opportunity and she reached up, bringing her gauntlets across the outstretched arm and leaving another two cuts in the armour.

Harriet suddenly realised how exposed she was and yanked herself backwards, wrenching her arm out of range and tumbling to a growling hunched stop on the floor. Batwoman matched the move but finished standing silent and proud in the middle of the cavern, a study in controlled, patient aggression. Harriet stared then threw her head back and laughed.

“Oh I wish we had more time to play but Granny says to make this quick.” She gestured and Batwoman saw two shapes detach themselves from nooks near the ceiling and drop down to flank Harriet. Parademons! The same oversized ones that had come after them in National City and while she thought she may be able to take one and even hold her own against two adding Harriet to the mix was definitely a terrible idea. She yanked two explosive Batarangs from her belt and hurled them up, one at each of the brackets holding the metal beam in place before the hatch in the roof. They blew on impact with a surprisingly large amount of smoke and noise, the beam itself clattering down, catching one of the Parademons in the shoulder.

Batwoman fired her grapple into the hatch itself and launched herself upwards. It was going to suck when she hit it but provided it popped up the same way it had when she’d opened it from above it was the fastest way out of there! For a little extra safety she extended her fist, mirroring Supergirl’s flying pose to make sure it wasn’t her head that hit first. She felt the metal against her glove when something wrapped around her ankle, stopping her dead and yanking her back down, hard, towards the cavern floor.

She didn’t have time to adjust properly and hit on her side with a painful, bone-rattling crunch that not even the Batsuit could mask. She glanced down and saw something white wrapped around her ankle. She reached for it but before her hand was halfway there it crackled with brilliant blue lightning and her body convulsed in agony. 

It lasted for a few seconds, just long enough to sap her strength and leave her gasping. The moment it ended the Parademons grabbed and held her arms, wrenching her up to her feet as Harriet slid one arm around her throat, the other holding her claws against Kate’s ribs. She heard footsteps in front of her and looked up, focusing as best she could through the red mist of anger and pain that wrapped around itself around her. A familiar face came into view above a strange outfit. Sleek and black, similar in some ways to Kate’s own Batsuit but with silver highlights that trailed down the front in sleek, swirling patterns. The face itself was surrounded in a tight hood that left only the eyes and mouth exposed. 

“S… Sheena.” Batwoman said, grateful her voice modulator was still working.

“No.” The word was cold and full of disdain but Kate couldn’t say she was entirely surprised by that. “Lashina. Warrior of Apokolips and captain of the Furies.” She raised her right hand and the other end of the strange white whip gleamed in her grip. “And I have been looking forward to this.”

Blue light arced in the enclosed space and Kate felt her world turn to pain, the power somehow not touching the others that held her. She felt Harriet’s arm tighten around her throat and cut off her air, sending her crashing into darkness with only the pain to fill her dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

“Time to wake up.” The words were accompanied by the thud of something heavy clattering into her ribs but at least it was just a physical pain. Kate groaned and rolled slowly away from the attack, her hands drifting to protect her face and body as best she could. Her gauntlet brushed her face and she realised the cowl was gone. For a moment she felt herself start to panic at her captors knowing her identity but quickly realised they’d likely known before now. Sheena - no, Lashina she corrected herself - had said she’d been looking forward to hurting her and she’d only met Kate Kane.

“Stay down where you belong.” The voice was harsh, cracked with age but driven by something dark and twisted. Kate had heard that voice before or, at least, voices very like it. And if there was one thing she knew it was that she would never obey a voice like that. Slowly, her body protesting every movement, she rolled on to her front and pushed herself up. First to all fours then with as little obvious discomfort as she could manage back to her feet.

There was a sigh from her unseen captor. “Stubborn fool.” Lightning burst from the darkness and wrapped around her in a cold embrace, penetrating her body, digging down to her soul and robbing her of control. Her muscles failed and she clattered back down to the concrete. 

“Better. Now…” The voice broke off as there was a tap of armoured glove on concrete. This time Kate made out the figure standing in front of her, albeit just a shadow in the darkness. She made sure she kept facing it as she eased back into a sitting position then with a deep breath she stood in one smooth motion, refusing to allow her twitching muscles any say in the matter.

“If you have something to say to me, say it to my face.” Kate growled out taking solace in her anger.

“Interesting. No.” The pain was instant but even as Kate fell she saw where it came from, the metal rod in a gnarled hand and in the moment before her convulsing body forced her neck back she saw an older woman lit by the backwash from the crackling blue energy. Short with a shock of white hair and dark green body armour watching her.

“For the last time, stay down.” The woman half-turned away then stopped short at the single word from behind her and the already-familiar scrape of armoured hands pushing against the hard ground.

“No.”

With a sigh the woman turned and saw, to her lack of surprise, Batwoman once again standing in the middle of the room. “How much more pain will it take to teach you the obvious?”

“More than you can give.” Kate said, watching the rod rise to face her before casually adding: “Or should I say more than you’re willing to give.”

The woman froze, the rod pointed at Kate’s face. “Explain yourself.”

Kate almost laughed as she realised she was right. The transfer of power, however temporary, was intoxicating and she used every last ounce of it. “You’re being careful not to make me scream. Your attack dog with the whip did the same thing. Short bursts to force the body to react but not enough for it to adapt.” Kate walked forward until she could press her chest into the end of the metal rod, feel its energy bubbling just the other side of the suit. “Now I wonder why you’d want to avoid that…”

For a long moment the woman just stared at Kate then she chuckled and stepped back. “Very good. You really are wasted here. What you could accomplish with my training and His power behind you…”

“That’s not what I asked.” Kate said coldly. 

“No, no it wasn’t. But why would I answer any question a mere human asks?”

“Because you’ve nothing to loose by doing so. You could clearly kill me if you wanted to and yet you chose to capture me. That means you want something from me and that only works if I’m alive and willing to co-operate.”

“Ah that’s where you’re wrong my dear. You have no choice in what happens next.”

“And yet I’m standing here instead of writhing on the ground in agony.”

“We can soon rectify that.” The woman flexed her fingers and the dreadful lightning wrapped itself around Kate again, battering at her resolve and sending her back to the cold floor. Her hands slapped at the concrete as her body shook but somehow she managed to lift her head and look at the woman. Kate forced away the pain and opened her mouth to shout the one word she was certain they feared…

The pain snapped off. The room fell back into nearly total blackness. Kate could feel the anger pouring from the other woman. But none of it mattered. She knew now exactly what they wanted even if she didn’t understand why... 

“Is that… the best… you’ve got?” Kate pushed herself back up, refusing to stay down. 

“Hardly.” The woman snorted in disdain and levelled the rod again. “And you’ll regret your insolence when the time comes.”

“Ah, so you’re not quite ready yet then?” Kate smirked and drew a deep breath.

“I wouldn’t do that. Not if you don’t want to get both of you killed.” It was a threat, of course it was Kate thought… but it also had such an air of certainty about it she hesitated. 

“Alright, a deal then..” Kate said, mind racing. “I won’t call for help, you talk to me and answer my questions honestly.”

“A deal?” The woman threw her head back and laughed. “It’s been a long time since any in your position dared show such arrogance.”

“But I’m right aren’t I?” Kate said with a smirk. “You want Supergirl don’t you? But on your terms because you know if she turns up and you’re not ready you’re either getting your collective asses handed to you on a plate or you’ll have to kill her. And doing that would break Darkseid’s oath which I can’t imagine he’d be very pleased about. Plus, well, it’d be a shame if we had to blow up Apokolips as a result.”

The woman hissed in frustration and slowly lowered the rod. “It’s a shame you were born human, what an addition you’d make to our forces. Very well, I will answer your questions but know this… when we are finished you will suffer more pain than you can imagine. You will break. You will scream. And Supergirl will be taken from you.”

“We’ll see.” Kate replied and her voice was cold and deadly. “First of all what are your plans for Supergirl?”

“She will become one of the Female Furies of course.” Granny smiled and it was an evil look devoid of warmth or kindness. “Under my… tender guidance she will become one of the most powerful weapons at Lord Darkseid’s disposal.”

Kate stared at the old woman for a moment then burst into laughter. From the expression on her face it wasn’t the reaction Granny had been expecting.

“You find this… amusing?”

“No, I find it hilarious.” Kate said still chuckling. “If you think you can turn Supergirl, make her a tool of evil… you don’t know the first thing about her. She will fight you every step of the way and in the end, she will defeat you.”

“You know nothing of life on Apokolips.” Granny said dismissively. “If all we had to work with was the primitive technology afforded to us by your planet you may be right. But in DeSaad’s tender care she will be pushed beyond anyone’s endurance. It’s a shame that we can’t bring you to him, it would make this so much easier in many ways.” Her demeanour became almost found and she sighed wistfully. “Ah the sight of a proud warrior undergoing their first treatment, it really is quite something. His tools don’t just inflict physical pain you see, they work on the mind as well. A thousand years of pain compressed into an hour… and with the sweet release of madness blocked from them. No, I’m afraid not even your precious Supergirl will resist that for long.

“You’re wrong.” Kate said and it wasn’t a boast or an attempt at bravery, just a simple statement of fact. “The sun on this planet rises in the east. The tides rise and fall. And Supergirl will never, ever allow herself to be used for evil.”

“We shall see. Or rather I will see. You, I fear, will either be dead or broken alongside her.”

“Ah so you’re taking me along on this little ride?”

“Not deliberately but there’s a possibility of that happening yes.” Granny shrugged. “Who knows, maybe you’ll give the Parademons some sport before they eat you alive. It’s a painful death of course but a relatively quick one.”

“You’re too kind.” Kate said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Alright then… why bother with the Earth First stuff if all you wanted was Supergirl?”

“Who said that’s all we wanted?” Granny gave another malicious smile at Kate’s surprised look. “She will be a useful bonus but hardly our main goal here. After all our Lord gave his oath not to pursue her and we are all bound to that oath. Only if she blunders in to our affairs can we act.”

Kate blinked as several pieces slammed together and she swore viciously. “That’s why you sent the Parademon. To get us interested, to keep the investigation going.”

“Quite. I will give you credit though, some of what you’ve done has been quite inventive. We shall need to make sure to note the more effective techniques for our own use.”

“Still doesn’t answer the question of why.” Kate pointed out, trying not to blame herself for missing the connection. “Long before we came along you were quietly building up the entire Earth First group into an anti-alien organisation. Why?”

“Because it’s not. Oh don’t look so offended, most of it’s members wouldn’t dream that what they do or believe is anti-alien. The most they’d consider is they’re pro-human.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Of course! They just want humans to compete, to retain their place in the world even as it changes around them.” Granny laughed and shook her head. “It’s amazing how few of them realise that position only exists because of the privileged path they travelled to get there. You’d be shocked how many of them claim that treating aliens equally is anti-human. Claim it’s not a fair contest somehow. Of course how being able to create fire with your fingertips helps someone be good at an office job they never quite seem able to explain.”

“But the training setups…”

“Are the same thing sweetness. Do you think the human race or, indeed, any species exists in a world made up of just right and wrong? No no no, most of those working for us in the security operation are normal humans with the skills needed for the job. Those with true anti-alien sentiment are seeded through their ranks, a little here, a little there. Always more of them around the newer recruits of course or anyone that may cause problems. It doesn’t take much you know. But ongoing exposure to a certain worldview expressed in subtle ways day in, day out can change minds far faster than any outright propaganda. The training just reinforces that, gets them used to associating alien culture, equipment, food… anything not of this planet as something to be feared and treated as hostile.”

“Why?” Kate asked quietly, running the words over in her head. She was right of course, Kate knew she was. Too many people too easily led and if used properly… well, the Jewish side of her family had seen graphic evidence of what could happen less than a century earlier and the years that had passed since were still too few to reduce the horror of those times. That had mostly been done by ‘good, honest people’ too she knew. Oh there were the truly evil overseeing things but the guards, the informants, the general public that had supported it… no, they were just taken along for the ride.

“Given time your world will tear itself apart just as surely as if we’d detonated a Hellspore or ten here.” Granny said, the words sliding smoothly into Kate’s thoughts. “We saw a chance to accelerate the process a little, make sure that so-called inspirations like your Supergirl lost the chance to save them. One good example, no matter how fast or powerful, cannot outweigh immersion in an environment that moves against them.”

“But why? Why do that in the first place?”

The old woman shook her head as if surprised. “You and the Kryptonian came to Apokolips unbidden and unprovoked. You declared war on us, whether your code allows you to admit it or not. You threatened an entire planet with annihilation and you did not expect retribution?”

“So this, all of this, is… what, to get even?”

“Hardly.” Granny snorted. “Pathetic humans, throwing your bodies into the void without any inkling of who or what is out there. If you knew anything about the true nature of the universe, anything at all, you would have hidden from it in terror.” She moved closer and her eyes gleamed malevolently. “Even now, on countless planets across untold galaxies, civilisations burn and tumble. The forces of Apokolips are legion and our weapons beyond measure. You removed but one. You inconvenienced our lord for a moment… nothing more. This world that you are so proud of will fall at its own hand and in the ashes the human race will find itself isolated and alone with more mouths fighting over less and less until, finally, they will embrace Darkseid willingly. And we will ensure there are those amongst you who remember why this happened and how you were conquered without a single shot being fired.”

Kate stared at her in horror, the truth of her words hitting home in a rush. Granny laughed at the realisation in Kate’s eyes and her tone shifted to something almost sympathetic. “But you should be happy my dear, your sweet Kara will be spared that fate. In fact maybe, if Darkseid wills it, she will be given this world to rule over. To lead it out of the fire and into its new future.”

The door slid open and Lashina walked in, one whip already in her hand as if expecting trouble. “Everything is ready Granny.”

“Good. Any last words before we begin your education?”

Kate looked up and to Lashina’s surprise there was a quiet peace in her eyes. “Your vision of this planet is flawed. Yes, we can be everything you said and more. We can be the worst people in this entire universe. But that is not all we are. We can be the best of it too. Look back through our history and you’ll see it time and again. We fail, we fall… and we get back up. Keep moving forward. Keep trying to be better. Keep hoping.”

“A lovely sentiment. Let’s see how long it lasts.” Granny said and motioned to Lashina. “Take her.”

The whip shot out and Kate snagged the tip in mid-air with one gauntlet-clad hand. She didn’t hold on to it though, instead redirecting it to the side and launching herself forward. There was no delicacy, no subtlety in the move and it caught Lashina off-guard. Kate slammed in to her and knocked them both to the ground, one boot cracking down on her right wrist to stop a follow-up lash, the other reaching for her throat.

The flash of metal was the only warning Kate had before pain burst across her like a supernova. Granny had moved with unexpected speed, placed the tip of her rod against Kate’s temple and let its power flow. Her body convulsed and for a timeless moment she found herself paralysed in agony. Her fingers spasmed open, her legs and arms curling in as she tried instinctively to shield herself then just as quickly as it had come the pain stopped. She slumped forward and Lashina angrily spun out from underneath her, letting her crash to the concrete before grabbing her from behind. 

“Careful now sweetness, there will be time enough for that later.” Granny scolded. “Bring her. You may of course watch.”

“Yes Granny.” Lashina dragged Kate’s still-twitching body out of the cell and down a short concrete corridor. The door in front of them swung open as they approached revealing a bare room beyond with a large pane of glass in the far end alongside a heavy, soundproofed door. Kate could barely stay conscious but even so as they passed through the doorway she tried to twist and fall away, her leg slamming back trying to kick out Lashina’s knee. But the moves were slow and lacked power, Lashina easily countering and wrenching Kate’s wrists above her head, one arm snaking around her throat to cut off her air. 

In the room beyond the glass a chair seemed to gleam in a single spotlight. Kate bucked and thrashed as best she could but found herself forced into it, restraints slammed across her wrists and ankles leaving her helpless. She felt the power build and saw the sadistic smiles on her captors faces as they retreated and the door slammed closed behind them though Kate was in no doubt they were watching from behind the window. 

Without warning her world seemed to dissolve into fire and pain. The concrete around her bubbled and boiled, the terrifying force slamming through her from the metal chair ripping at her reality. All around her seemed to be flame and death, the same hellscape she’d seen once before when Lex had dosed her with concentrated fear toxin except now her mind was forced there by the agony coursing through her. She knew what they wanted, knew what she had to do to make it stop… but she knew the price too. Knew the cost of saving her body would be endangering the only thing that made her whole. 

She forced back the scream that tried to batter its way through her chest and reached for something, anything that could keep her grounded to what little reality remained. She looked up… and to her astonishment a figure appeared above her. A golden angel swooping down on wings of fire, building white walls around her, cutting off everything that made her Kate Kane from the horror of the world. As the ‘room’ sealed shut the figure settled down beside her, gentle smile beaming as a familiar arm slid across Kate’s chest.

“Kara….” It couldn’t be of course, Kate knew it was impossible… but she relaxed into the embrace anyway. As the power of Apokolips tore at her flesh Kate took refuge in everything good and pure in her life. Somehow, impossibly, she found peace and strength in the eye of the storm and let herself sink gratefully into her lover’s arms.


	5. Chapter 5

“How long has it been?” Lashina asked sounding stunned.

“Almost three hours.” Granny had far more practice at hiding her thoughts but even so a hint of something that could almost be admiration shone through. “Who knew these creatures could be so strong.”

“How?” Lashina stared in disbelief at the black-clad figure writhing in the chair. “She suffers but stays silent. How is that possible?”

“They would say it’s love. Her feelings for the Krptonian give her strength,”

“But…”

Granny shot a sideways look at the leader of the Furies. “You are about to ask why we would deny you such strength? Why we teach you to avoid such folly?”

“Yes Granny.” Lashina hung her head in shame but to her surprise Granny nodded and sounded almost understanding when she replied.

“It is a strength with a price. You can see the hope it brings… but when it fails as it inevitably must it will destroy her.”

Lashina didn’t know what to say to that and settled for the safe ground of tactics and strategy. “We are maintaining the transport grid but if she does not break soon we will need to reduce the power to keep the system within tolerance.”

Granny let out an exasperated sigh as she looked through the window at the tortured woman beyond. “Very well… increase the output another twenty percent.”

“That… may kill her.” Lashina pointed out reluctantly. As much as she was hoping to see this one dead she very much wanted it to be at her hands.

“Yes but better that than the Kryptonian arrives and we are unprepared. If we allow her to rest she will know that is her opportunity and I don’t believe we could keep her from summoning aid no matter how well we silence her.”

Lashina nodded and reached out to tap the controls. In the next room the chair crackled and surged with fresh power that caused every muscle in Kate’s body to stiffen and arch at once.

In the centre of her soul Kate felt the world around her tremble. She looked up at the glowing, golden Kara above her, reaching out to pull her close as fear gripped her.

“I’m sorry… I can’t….” Kate gasped even as she tried to fight back, to keep this place intact, keep the woman she loved safe.

“It’s alright…” Kara whispered in her ear and Kate felt the ghostly echo of familiar lips brush her cheek. “Let go Kate.”

“No!” Kate almost sobbed the word but she forced herself to hang on, to refuse to give them what they wanted.

“Kate, look at me…” Somehow Kate opened her eyes and was rewarded with a compassionate smile full of warmth and love. “Trust me. Let go. You’re dying… let go, let me save you!”

“They’ll… they’ll take you… away…”

“Never.” The smile became Kate’s world and the golden figure above her dipped close, kissing her. Kate let out a single sob as the walls tumbled around her and the sob became a scream that echoed around the room.

Two thousand miles away Alex Danvers frowned as her sister suddenly looked away from the data they’d been pouring over. Eyes that could stare down the sun were suddenly locked on the horizon and a single word escaped Kara’s lips.

“Kate.”

She was in the air and accelerating so quickly Alex had to clap her hands over her ears to try to keep out the echo of the sonic boom as it reverberated around the city. A blue and red missile rocketed from the western seaboard fixed on one destination. The air shrieked and split as she forced herself to fly faster, ignoring everything to get to the source of that terrible sound.

“Finally.” Lashina sighed as Kate’s scream died away and the chair automatically shut off. Flanking Granny Goodness she walked in through the thick door, staring in fascination at Kate’s trembling body. The signs of her torture were clear, muscles still spasming even though the dreadful current had been switched off yet somehow, to Lashina’s astonishment, her head still raised to stare at them and her eyes were clear and cold.

“Y… you have no idea what’s coming.”

Lashina was about to laugh, about to taunt their victim and maybe even turn the chair back on just to prove the point when every alarm in the building went off seemingly at once. She turned, shocked, to Granny.

“No…”

Before Granny could respond there was an earsplitting crash as Supergirl flew straight through the outer wall, tore apart the multiple reinforced metal shells like paper and finally punched her way through what Lashina had always thought was impervious Apokoliptian armour in three blows to stand in the room before them. She took one look at the figure in the chair and turned to face them with murder in her face. Granny raised her rod and a brilliant blue beam of energy shot out, pouring its fury into Supergirl. 

Lashina expected the Kryptonian to cry out, to stagger back or even to fall before a pain that Lashina herself knew all too well. Instead she caught it on her palm, her arm rocksteady in front of her as she started to march forward, cutting down the distance and pushing the beam back into the rod that generated it. The startling display of power was enough to rip Lashina from her shock and she sent one of her whips arching to wrap around Supergirl’s waist. It too crackled as she triggered its electricity but it had no more effect that the beam.

Before Lashina could react Supergirl reached down and grabbed the whip, wrapping it around her wrist and giving one hard tug to yank Lashina off her feet. She sailed through the air between Supergirl and Granny, taking the full brunt of the crackling blue beam before smashing into Granny herself. As they lay on the ground Supergirl turned and ripped the bindings from Batwoman’s wrists and ankles. 

“I’ve got you.” Kara whispered and Kate looked up with a mix of pride and fear. 

“You… shouldn’t have… come.” Kate gasped as Kara helped her to her feet, supporting her with an arm under the shoulders. “But I’m glad you did.”

Lashina suddenly realised that this was their only chance. If she didn’t act, now, without orders then they would not only lose the Kryptonian but likely their freedom and possibly their lives if she decided to take them. She tapped a code into the control pad on her wrist, rolled on the floor and grabbed Granny around the waist. They made it three steps before the wall behind the chair shuddered and started to collapse, the tiles being sucked backwards by an unimaginable force.

“What the…” Kara turned and stared in shock as she saw the tunnel of an enormous boom tube form behind her then she felt its pull. Lashina had thrown her whips forward and was using them as a mix of tether and rope, pulling herself and her commander clear. Kara didn’t need to see anymore and grabbed Kate just as Batwoman’s cape started to pull her back. Supergirl took off and they managed to fly a few feet away before the rapidly increasing force wrapped its arms around them both. Supergirl looked up and saw Lashina reach the doorway and as soon as she passed through the pull seemed to drop away, as if it were shielded somehow from the rest of the building. Neither Lashina or Granny hung around to watch the results, either it would work or not, there was nothing they could do now to influence that outcome.

“The door…” Kate hissed, fumbling at her belt with shaking fingers, grabbing her grapple gun and firing a shot into the top of the door frame. She didn’t dare try to aim through the door itself, it would be far too easy for someone to cut it. Straining, knowing full well how little her strength mattered in this fight but determined to do what she could, Kate latched the gun to her belt and started the cable mechanism. Her gauntleted hands wrapped around the cable and added her own muscles to the fight. 

But she was under no illusions, that fight would be won or lost by the woman who held her. Kara Zor-El found herself flying harder than she’d ever done in her life yet no matter how much she tried it felt like they were stuck in quicksand. Slowly, inch by inch, they moved forward, Kara’s efforts obvious to her passenger, the grunts of pain as she called up rarely used reserves and kept going. She matched the boom tube behind them but every time she thought she had its measure it increased the force pulling at her. 

After almost a minute they hung a tantalising metre from the safety of the doorway caught in perfect balance. The boom tube seemed to have reached its peak but so had Kara. No matter what she tried they couldn’t move and every ounce of force she could muster was being used to keep them in place. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings, of the wind rushing past them, the smell of the city beyond this trap, the warmth of the planet’s sun beating down, the feel of dust on her skin… and most of all Kate Kane’s heartbeat. The quick but steady pounding of a body doing everything it could to save her. To save Kara no matter the odds or how hopeless the situation seemed.

The moment seemed to freeze in Kara’s awareness, the sure, certain knowledge that Kate was working just as hard to save her as she was to save Kate. And in that moment Kara Zor-El knew what she had to do and was completely at peace with the decision.

“Kate!” Kara called and somehow Kate heard her over the rushing wind, turning her head to look back and up at her wife. The moment she saw her eyes she knew what was coming.

“KARA, NO!” 

“I love you.” Kara said simply and Kate felt the arm holding her tense. She went to grab hold but it was too late, Kara had already started her throw. For while the Girl of Steel might not be able to outfly the boom tube sucking her down she could still throw Batwoman clear of it. Kate felt her fingers brush Kara’s arm but she was already hurtling forward, Kara lending the force of the throw to the momentum of their flight, the cable in the door frame guiding her out of the trap and to safety, the pull of the boom tube slowing her headlong flight until she clattered through the opening not much faster than if she were sprinting.

Kate slammed to the floor in the room beyond and turned, getting her feet under her and racing back towards the door, arm outstretched. But to her horror she saw Kara smile at her and fall backwards, giving up the fight to ensure Kate couldn’t get snared again, letting the boom tube take her and as she dropped away from Kate the raging portal snapped closed swallowing her whole.

Kate skidded to a stop on her knees in the wreckage of the torture room. Nothing remained other than the concrete floor, the walls and ceiling ripped away, leaving an exposed ledge overlooking Gotham. As the boom tube vanished the wind rushed back in to fill the sudden vacuum leaving Kate staring at the empty sky, tears falling freely as she felt her soul go numb.

“Kara…”

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points on offer for anyone that a) spots the link back to the awesome Stephanie Brown run of Batgirl comics (seriously, she's the best and if you're at all a fan of the CW TV shows go check 'em out, they'll be right up your street) and b) finds the direct quote from the 1980's Flash Gordon movie that fit so well after I dropped it in as a placeholder I couldn't stand to take it out. Aaaaaaaand now the theme song's stuck in your head, enjoy!
> 
> Racing towards the finale of this particular story arc / season and I just wanted to give a quick warning: the next entry is likely to be pretty dark. Hopefully justifiably so but a certain amount of tap dancing on the moral event horizon is on the cards.


End file.
